SOURCE: Root, Robert L., Jr. “Conclusion.” In Thomas Southerne, pp. 118-28. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1981.

In the following excerpt, Root argues that Southerne is an important dramatist deserving of greater scholarly attention.

References to Thomas Southerne in his lifetime are plentiful but usually brief. The picture that emerges from what amount to little more than footnotes to other men's lives is that of a well-fed, jovial companion and guest. Except for some back-biting by such a figure as William Broome, the references are always affectionate, cheerful, good-natured. He is teased about his deafness, asked after by corresponding friends, and applauded for his graciousness and generosity. In all this welter of reference, there is surprisingly little mention of his work, either positively or negatively. It is as if the man's personality and social grace had completely effaced the accomplishment of his literary career. And, indeed, the references to him in...